Former Red Sox Catcher Slams Team After Botched Negotiations With Xander Bogaerts
Boston Red Sox fans aren't the only ones who were upset about the team losing longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency.
The Red Sox entered the offseason by saying that re-signing the four-time All-Star was the team's top priority but failed to get a deal done and Bogaerts eventually agreed to an 11-year, $280 million contract with the San Diego Padres.
Fellow longtime Red Sox player and two-time World Series champion Christian Vázquez recently spoke out about the club's handling of Bogaerts on Audacy's "The Bradfo Show," with WEEI's Rob Bradford.
“I was thinking he was coming back to finish his career there," Vázquez said to Bradford. "He is a big part of that organization before, but it’s a business. I don’t know, he’ll look weird in another uniform.
“The people don’t get the inside of what happened inside the clubhouse and all that stuff. He deserved more respect from the front office, everybody. He’s a star, I think you need to respect that. Respect what he did for the organization – he got two rings with that organization. I feel like he deserved more than that."
Vázquez's comments certainly aren't a ringing endorsement of the club he spent the first eight years of his career with. He isn't the only one who thought Bogaerts would be with the Red Sox for his entire career but at the end of the day San Diego offered a deal that couldn't be turned down. Also, with the contract taking Bogaerts into his age-41 season, it isn't too surprising that Boston didn't match, especially with top prospect Marcelo Mayer on his way to the big leagues.
Bogaerts was a fan-favorite in Boston and helped deliver two World Series championships. Rumors have swirled that if the club had offered Bogaerts an extension last offseason comparable what Trevor Story received then he would've accepted and never reached free agency. Even if that would've been the case, there's no way to know for sure now.
Boston certainly will look different in 2023 and the loss of Bogaerts certainly will bring sour feelings to Red Sox Nation for years to come. Vázquez certainly is saying the same things Red Sox fans have been saying since Bogaerts' deal was announced.
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